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Patented June l3, I899.

A H. L. JfC. TURC. APPARATUS FOR L'AUNCHING 0R DISGHARGING TORPEDOES.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1899.)

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(Application filed Jan. 18, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT. OEEIcE.

HENRI LOUIS JOSEPH CLEMENT TURC, OF CASTANS PAR CANNES,

FRANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,945, dated June 13, 1899. Application filed January 18,1899- Serial No. 702,563. (No model.)

To all whom, zit may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRI LOUIS JOSEPH CLEMENT TURO, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a resident of Castans par Cannes, (Aude,) France,have invented Improvements in Apparatus for Launching or Discharging Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates more particularly to that class of torpedo launching or discharging mechanisms in which a spar supporting the torpedo is jointed at one of its ends to the side of the ship and swinging outward by reason of the resistance of the water after it has been moved a slight distance away from the side of the ship the torpedo is discharged when the said spar has reached the sighting or aiming angle.

The constructions commonly employed necessitates the use of two chambers in line with each other and with a total length equal to twice that required to accommodate a torpedo. I employ onlya single chamber capable of accommodating a torpedo by making it in the form of a rotary sluice or look.

I shall now proceed to describe a suitable mechanism and mode of operation for carrying out my invention; but it is to be under-' stood that I do not limit myself to any special construction or arrangement of parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates, diagrammatically, in section my torpedo-chamber in the form of a rotary lock. Fig. 2 is an external elevation of the rotary lock. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4.- is an elevation of the rotary lock from the inside of the ship. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5 of Fig. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is an end view. Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of an arrangement of several torpedo-launching apparatus in one shi 0 the side A of the ship-in a suitable place there is fixed a cylinder B, in which are formed two opposite longitudinal apertures of sufficient size to allow of the passage of the tor- One of and the pedo and of its appurtenant part-s. these apertures b is inside the ship,

other aperture b constitutes the intersection of the side A of the hull of the ship with the cylinder.

Inside the cylinder B and carefully fitted therein is another cylinder C, which is capable of turning and which has only one single aperture corresponding in size to each of the apertures 19 and I). It will be understood that by rotating the cylinder C the interior of this cylinder can be placed in communication either with the interior of the ship by means of the aperture 1) or with the exterior by means of the aperture 1) without there being ever any direct communication between'the interior and the exterior of the ship, this being due to the sole condition that the are as shall begreater than the arc y, Fig. 1. Each half-rotation of the cylinder B has only the effect of allowing a volume of air equal to its capacity to pass from the ship into the sea, or, on the other hand, an equal volume of water to pass from the sea into the ship.

The torpedo T and its launching-arm, as also the'accessory parts, are contained in the cylinder C. For the purpose of charging the torpedo the cylinder is placed in communication with a ship, and for launching the torpedo the said cylinder is caused to communicate with the exterior. It will thus be seen that with this system the same chamber serves for charging and for launching atorpedo, thereby reducing the necessary space to a minimum.

Having now set forth the principle of my invention, I shall now proceed to describe by way of example mechanism for operating the various parts of my system.

Inside the cylinder C there is arranged a spar or arm D, which can swing horizontally on a vertical pivot d at oneof its ends. This arm by means of the usual hooks d d 'sup- 'ports and guides the torpedo, which is launched by moving the arm D slightly out of its turned in position until it projects slightly on the outside. Then as the ship is under way the spar will continue to swing outward by reason of the resistance of the'water, and the launch will be effected when the spar has been moved through a suitable angle. Thisprinciple is known. It may be applied a i I 626,945

in combination with my system by various means. I shall now proceed to describe a construction which I have invented.

The arm D may be moved by means of the following device:

Upon the inside wall of the cylinder 0 and on the side of the free end of the arm D there is arranged a lever E, which is capable of turning horizontally on its end e. This lever is bifurcated, and each arm of the bifurcated parts is formed with a slot 6, in which engages a pin fixed to the movable part of a ram F, the piston f of which is fixed and the cylinder f movable. On sending a fluid under pressure-such as compressed air, forexample-through the duct f the cylinder f is pushedout, and it serves to move the arm E, which moves from the position shown by full lines at 1 into the position shown by dotted lines at 2, Fig. 3, so as to effect the movement of the arm D and to bring it into the position where it can be engaged by the current of water, and then continue its movement of itself. On moving out, the arm E disengages a spring latch or bolt G, which serves to lock the arm D in its inward position in the cylinder.

The supply of air to the cylinder f is controlled by means of a cook or slide-valve H, which controls on one hand the duct f for causing the movable cylinder to move in one direction (for launching) and on the other hand a ductf for eitecting the return of the movable cylinder and for returning the arm E into its position 1.

The angle of rotation of the arm D about the point (:2 determines the direction of firing of the torpedo and is consequently Variable. For the purpose of effecting this movement exactly to the required angle I attach to the arm D a cable I, Fig. 6, of suitable non-extensible nature, which passes over a guidepulley 't', fixed to the side of the cylinder 0, and which winds up in the helical groove of a drum J, Fig. 3. This latter constitutes a nut for the screw K, which is fixed at its ends 7c 7." to the cylinder 0. The pitch of the screw K is equal to that of the groove of the windlass, so that the cable I will always be taken up or delivered opposite the guide-pulley 1'. Upon this screw K there is mounted another sleeve L, which forms a nut, and is provided at its end next the drum J with a projection Z, that forms a stop against which a projection j of the drum J can strike when the drum moves along on the screw K. The sleeve L is surrounded by a sleeve L, on which by a feather-and-groove connection it can move longitudinally, but must rotate with it. The sleeve L is journaled in two bearings fixed to the cylinder 0 in such a manner that it can only turn on, its own axis. On its end it carries a Worm-wheel Z, gearing with worm M, which is operated through the medium of suitable intermediate gear-wheels m by means of an air-motorl When the arm D is pushed outward on the point (Z, it produces a rotation of the drum J, which moves forward along the screw K to the extent allowed by the position of the screw-threaded sleeve L. When the two ends of the drum and the sleeve meet at their projections, the unwinding of the cable I is stopped, and the arm D is then rendered stationary in a position at a certain angle. It will be understood that this angle can be varied by limiting the forward movement of the drum J by the position of the sleeve L. Then in order todetermine the sighting angle of the arm D it will be sufiicient to cause the sleeve L to make a determined number of revolutions. A suitable counter m, provided on the motion-transmitting parts m, will allowof this being determined with every desirable accuracy. When the drum J and the sleeve L have come into engagement and the length of the cable necessary for aiminghas been unwound and the torpedo has been launched, it will be sufficient for the purpose of winding up the cable and of causing the torpedo-launching apparatus to move back to cause the operating mechan ism to rotate in such a manner that the sleeve L, which is in engagement with the drum J by means of the projections Zand j, shallmove the latter with it, and thus effect the winding up of the cable. When the latter is completely wound up and the parts have been returned into-place for a fresh launching operation, the sleeve L is caused to turn in the contrary direction to return to its normal position. (Shownin Fig.3.) ThesleeveLthen becomes disengaged from the drum J and is returned to its first position for a new operation.

As regards the rotation of the cylinder 0 to cause its interior to communicate either with the ship or with the exterior thereof, the said cylinder is operated by means of an air or other motor O,whose motion is transmitted through the medium of suitable gearing o 0 to two worms P P, which engage with two worm-wheels fixed to the cylinder 0 at its two ends. It will be noted that the use of this helical gearing prevents the mechanism from running back and insures the fixity of the actuating parts in all positions.

To recapitulate, the operation of launching a torpedo is as follows: The cylinder 0 having been turned to establish communication with the interior of the ship, the torpedo is mounted on the arm D. Then the cylinder O is turned in such a manner as to communicate with the sea. Then the sleeve L is actuated by the motor M, so as to determine the length of cable to be unwound, and consequently the aiming angle. At the word of command the torpedo is launched by operating the cock 11.. When the torpedo has been launched, the motor,.which is controlled by the valve m is set going in order to produce rotation of the drum J and by the winding up of the cable to move the torpedo-launching apparatus in again. At the same time the valve H is operated for the purpose of moving the lever E back again. When the apparatus has been moved back again into the cylinder or lock 0, the latter is then turned through one hundred and eighty degrees by means of the motor 0, and the torpedo-launching apparatus is charged anew.

My system in its application to the arrangement of the launching apparatus which I have described hereinbefore has the advantage of requiring only a small space, so that a greater number of launching apparatus than usual can be provided on a torpedo-boat.

A further advantage of my invention consists in the fact that it is impossible to produce a free through-water passage however clumsily the method of operating the lock is carried out.

Fig. 9 illustrates, diagrammatically, in section a boat containing four launching apparatus Q Q Q Q I claim as my invention- 1. A torpedo-launching apparatus having two cylinders one within the other and one of which is fixed to the side of the boat and is provided with two apertures, while the other cylinder containing the torpedo and launching parts has one single aperture, and can be rotated with reference to the fixed cylinder so that in turning in the fixed cylinder, it uncovers only one aperture at a time, communicating either with the interior of the vessel for the purpose of charging, or with the exterior for the purpose of launching, substantially as described.

2. A torpedo-launching apparatus,comprising the side of a vessel and a cylinder affixed thereto, with two opposite apertures, one opening to the sea and the other to the interior of the vessel, in combination with a cylinder having a single aperture adapted to rotate within the fixed cylinder, a torpedolaunching arm pivoted to the rotary cylinder and means for operating the said arm, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a torpedo vessel having a pivoted launching-arm with a springlatch therefor, in combination with a lever adapted to act on said latch to release the arm, and also to act on said arm to push it outward, and a fluid-pressure cylinder and piston to operate said lever, substantially as described.

4. A torpedo-launching apparatus, having a pivoted launching-arm, with a cable connected to said arm, a helical drum on which the cable is wound, a stationary screw-shaft carrying the drum, and an adjustable stop for the said drum, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

A. BAZ'IN, COUTOIS. 

